Thompson criticises Buzz! for schools

By Robert Purchese Published 14 January, 2008

British papers decide it's a 'row'.

US attorney Jack Thompson has criticised Buzz! The Schools Quiz, claiming teachers should concentrate on traditional teaching methods instead.

His comments were aired in British newspapers The Telegraph and The Daily Mail, both of which questioned Sony's motives in selling the PS2 title to schools, presumably in much the same way an impartial observer would question the newspapers' decision to make a non-existent row the focus of their stories.

"Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped," claimed Jack Thompson, who hasn't actually been rude to us lately. "I don't see how they can be of any more benefit than normal teaching."

Educational psychologist Jane Healy agreed: "If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze," she said, demonstrating an impressive understanding of how Buzz works.

Buzz! The Schools Quiz features around 5000 questions based on the Key Stage 2 Curriculum and is available in both shops and schools.

It's a self-funded project by Buzz! developer Relentless, and has proved both successful and popular in schools around the country - as we heard in an interview last Friday.

Sounds all right to us. But what about you at the back there with your hand up and your snotty nose, what do you think?

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (59) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #1 4 years ago

    JACKS BACK! This time its educational!

  • Azazel #2 4 years ago

    Thompson: "ZOMG Gamz is teh sux!! FU $ONY Btich!"

    I wish the real world had an 'ignore' function.

  • Cloudane #3 4 years ago

    Somebody tell him to bugger off and do something better with his time.

  • JediMasterMalik #4 4 years ago

    What a fucking retard.

  • Trendyninja #5 4 years ago

    God I wish this guy would just STFU!

    You know, if anything makes me feel like getting violent and agressive it's this prat!

  • gamingdave #6 4 years ago

    "Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped"

    What a ridiculously sweeping statement, I'm assuming with no grounding in fact at all.

  • Santino #7 4 years ago

    it annoys me that any gaming websites actually report anything this tool has to say, it will just feed his ego. if all sites just ignored him he might go away?

  • Darkedge #8 4 years ago

    Educational psychologist Jane Healy agreed: "If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze."

    so they didn't ask her about a quiz that you have to get the right answers at all - just what she thought of Computer Games in general - that and she hasn't obviously got a clue about games as she hasn't even looked into the psycology of games and the reward structure that is actually very similar to natural learning as opposed to the school system. Yes games can be just rats in a maze, but even the rats learn Jane...

    More quality journalism that has no bias at all

  • Avaloner #9 4 years ago

    "Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped"

    If you replace 'videogames' with 'religion' that statement would be more truthful.

  • bioreit #10 4 years ago

    Anyone know how his Florida Bar thang is going? Really hoping he gets disbarred, but can't be arsed to go through the hassle of opening up GamePolitics at work just to check on how it's going.

  • TheDudesRug #11 4 years ago

    I can't hear you!

    USA! USA! USA!

  • Saladin #12 4 years ago

    All together now!

    WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION, WE DON'T NEED NO THOUGHT CONTROL
    NO DARK SARCASM IN THE CLASSROOM
    HEY, THOMPSON, LEAVE US KIDS ALONE

    Bastards.

  • Shrui #13 4 years ago

    *wipes nose*

    Usual attention seeking nonsense. Bit more sedate by Jack's usual standards though. I expected him to be claiming that the kids bludgeon each other with the controllers for getting a question wrong.

    I can't totally put down the educational psychologist's theory though. I've seen kids play that way. But I reckon it depends on the age range and how its used. Pretty much like every other teaching tool & method then (no matter how traditional, Jack!).

  • optimusprym8 #14 4 years ago

    I don't think anyone expects Buzz 4 Schools to replace traditional teaching methods, merely complement it. I for one fully support the move, anything to engage brains when textbooks can be incredibly dull and dry

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #15 4 years ago

    I like the way the article on the Daily Mail site is complimented by other news such as "Tennis star's plunging neckline leaves little to the imagination".

  • Heitzu #16 4 years ago

    I was going to ask who asked for his opinion when I read the title... should have realised The Daily Mail were involved.
    Edited by 1 at 14/01/08 @ 15:02

  • X201 #17 4 years ago

    @bioreit
    It took a while to track down but a group of us managed to come up with some decent text for Wikipedia
    The numbers are the references to the original docs on wiki (ignore them - unless you like reading legal documents, I don't recommend them)

    "On 20 April 2007, both parties reached a settlement[45] and agreed to drop their respective lawsuits. Under the terms of the settlement Thompson is barred from suing to block the sale or distribution of any future games published by Take-Two or any of its subsidiaries. He will be restricted to communicating through Take-Two's attorneys on any future matters. Thompson will still be able to maintain his outspoken stance against the publisher's titles, as well as still being allowed to act as counsel in lawsuits brought against Take-Two by other parties.

    For their part, Take-Two agreed to drop its contempt of court lawsuit against Thompson regarding alleged improper conduct during the Bully court hearings in Florida,[46][47] which, if found to be in contempt, would have resulted in Thompson seeing jail time.[48][49][50]"
    Edited by 1 at 14/01/08 @ 15:02

  • Artemis_Matsas #18 4 years ago

    Hmmm this guy would have made an excellent Nazi, that's for sure.

  • Carlo #19 4 years ago

    jack can fuck right off

  • DutchDemons #20 4 years ago

    Jacks Jihad continues...

  • Carlo #21 4 years ago

    Berie: ""Tennis star's plunging neckline leaves little to the imagination". "

    Links?

    http://ww w.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/ar... (WITH PIC YUM!!!!)
    Edited by 1 at 14/01/08 @ 15:07

  • XdarXideX #22 4 years ago

    Great... so an ill conceived assumption (probably based on very little research as Jack Thompson must now be infamous for) backed up by someone who probably shouldn't have a job in the field she is in. As usual... it's the loudest people who make the news.

    Surely Buzz the Schools QUIZ is meant as a Teaching aid and not a replacement programme. If that is true then it's no different from having a text book of questions and answers, only it's easier and much more interesting to hear the information and be rewarded for it than read the information and the benefits be not so obvious to them. Granted that's not going to help reading and writing skills but obviously at the key stage the game is intended for kids will already be well on their way to conversational fluency in their native language.

    Seriously, someone slap Jack Thompson. He doesn't deserve his title either because he's too stupid and lazy to research the facts correctly before making comments/lawsuits or he's twisting facts to meet his needs in order to take down the games industry.

    I wonder if he was ever attacked by a Nintendo.

  • bioreit #23 4 years ago

    Ta X201, but I was referring to the more recent news that he was on trial for ethics and professional conduct, or lack thereof. I succumbed and opened up GamePolitics and found the inital page

    [link url=http://gamepolitics.co m/2007/11/26/jack-thompson-faces-trial-before-the-florida-ba r-today/
    ]http://ga mepolitics.com/2007/11/26/jack-...[/link]

    but was wondering if anyone knew of any updates?

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #24 4 years ago

    Hello everyone. I've updated Bertie's story a bit because I don't think he was mean enough. This sort of nonsense from the Telegraph and Daily Mail makes me want to hit people. Which reminds me.

  • Tim #25 4 years ago

    If you watch kids reading a book, most of them are just moving their eyes, or turning pages as often as they can. It reminds me of rats sitting in a maze.

    Or is it just me?

  • The_Aardvark #26 4 years ago

    Excellent edits Tom. I see you're luxuriating in your newfound power.

  • bioreit #27 4 years ago

    @ Mugwum

    Ta Tom. The more Mail-bashing, the better. And The Sun! That link and other stories make me want to execute Plan #213 more and more:

    To raise venture capital funds that will alow me to purchase the Daily Mail Group.

    Then slowly turn it into the bastion of liberal-minded, sensible, intelligent-yet-humourous news.

    Seeing as Daily Mail readers seem to take what their beloved paper says on faith, it should improve the general outlook of the population somewhat.

    Edit 1: Grovelling obsequiousness: Congrats Tom - long may you reign, in Irony and Sarcasm!
    Edited by 1 at 14/01/08 @ 15:23

  • gingerlink #28 4 years ago

    @ Saladin

    WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION, WE DON'T NEED NO THOUGHT CONTROL
    NO DARK SARCASM IN THE CLASSROOM
    HEY, THOMPSON, LEAVE US KIDS ALONE

    yes you do, you just used a double negative.

  • X201 #29 4 years ago

    @bioreit

    http://ga mepolitics.com/2007/12/06/jack-...

  • DSKUK #30 4 years ago

    If this guy has kids, i really really feel sorry for them. They wouldn't be able to play anything apart from Barbie's Horse Adventures - cept he'd probably have something to complain about that too :)

  • bioreit #31 4 years ago

    @ X201

    Thanks again! Now, seeing as you're doing things for me, I'll have a coffee, white, with two and a half sugars ;-)

  • Saladin #32 4 years ago

    @gingerlink:

    Missed the point?

  • Tiger_Walts #33 4 years ago

    "Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped"

    If you replace 'videogames' with 'religion' that statement would be more truthful.

    It also works with 'ambulance chasers'.
    Edited by 1 at 14/01/08 @ 15:52

  • gingerlink #34 4 years ago

    sorry, should've added the smiley :p

  • kangarootoo #35 4 years ago

    The more well know JT becomes, the more people wise up to the fact that he is an insane man who just so happens to be an attorney.

    I don't worry too much about him these days, as most professional journalists of quality know he isn't a reliable source of information.

  • Psi #36 4 years ago

    I can see this poor tossers brain working, picturing a future of GCSE's marked on sony playstations. Kids sitting their test hammering away at joypads silently obediant to their sony overlords!

    A significant high score could land you a place at oxbridge, or if you're found smuggling in a game genie into the exam you could be working at macdonalds!

    WONT SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!??!?!

    jack its a new low picking on teachers....

  • SEVQA #37 4 years ago

    Rejoice as one thing we can all agree on (WE HATE JACK THOMPSON!!!)

  • stoopidgreg #38 4 years ago

    i personally think these "education simulators" should be banned. they're teaching people how to think which might lead to them being smarter. this is unacceptable.

  • badgerc82 #39 4 years ago

    "If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze."

    Rofl, she is just jealous because she can't actually understand what those kids are doing on a computer. My nan is exactly the same way.....

  • JediMasterMalik #40 4 years ago

    I have to seriously question whether that educational psychologist even had a degree. Either that or her words were taking majorly out of context.

  • Muddtallica #41 4 years ago

    badgerc82 - you're dead right there. It's like the constant stereotypically negative image of a kid playing a videogame, staring apparently blank-eyed at the flickering screen. The Thompsons of this world would say the child has been zombified and rendered brain-dead by the game - I'd say it's because he's, y'know, concentrating. Like you would do when you watch a film. Or read a book. Or do anything that requires a significant amount of mental input. You'd hope a psychologist would be able to make intuitive leaps such as that...then again, this is a psychologist writing in the Daily Mail in support of Jack Thompson, so I'm guessing she's one of these that got their degree off the back of a cereal box.

  • PEANUTXXI #42 4 years ago

    BBC computers, man that takes me back...

    Back on topic - the guys a moron. I'm sure his assumptions come from his PA collecting news paper clippings for him. "There's more negative press than good, where's my high horse and shit stirring spoon".

    One of my friends was suffering badly when a close relative died - right or wrong, video games were his only escape at that time.

    I think a version of Buzz based on the simpson's episode with the electric shock treatment would be better. Especially for the most troublesome kids.

  • peteb #43 4 years ago

    i love how Jack Thompson unites us all.

    It makes me feel...proud?

  • kangarootoo #44 4 years ago

    "I'm sure his assumptions come from his PA collecting news paper clippings for him."

    I don't agree. I don't think JT is misformed by way of not having all the information available to him. I think he is actually a classic example of someone who is very good at collecting information about a subject, but who will then purposely manipulate, misrepresent and selectively reference said information to suit his ends.***

    In other words, no one is giving him the wrong info. He is quite capable of manipulating the truth in support of his belief system (that video games are evil in all their forms) all by himself. :)


    *** As an attorney that is indeed what he has been trained to do. Modern court law is not about discovering the truth, it is about two sides with opposing agendas selectively presenting a case that supports each of their their respective aims. Its quite a sad principle when you think about it, but I suppose as humans we are incapable of true altruism and so what other court system could take its place :(
    Edited by 1 at 14/01/08 @ 17:01

  • Kafeen #45 4 years ago

    Damn, the games industry can't even teach kids without doing something wrong.

  • Moz #46 4 years ago

    Piss off Jack you christian fundamentalist nazi basturd!!
    Edited by 2 at 14/01/08 @ 17:04

  • SEVQA #47 4 years ago

    @moz

    well that rolls off the tounge nicely!

  • Beardedmonkey #48 4 years ago

    "What a lot of FUCKING BULLSHIT. I've 32 and I remember several educational games that we played on the BBC Master system at school, such as Granny's Garden. "

    Damn straight! If I ever need to feed different coloured dragons their favourite foods it'll be a doddle! Games made me what I am today (not sure which side of the argument that statement actually helps..).

    "Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped"

    That's just a ridiculous statement, but we've come to expect it from JT. Its starting to whiff of desperate attention-seeking these days. Like Kerry Katona, but stupider.

  • Kropotkin #49 4 years ago

    The holy trinity of Thompson, Daily Mail and The Telegraph united at last! It was only a matter of time I say.

    As for Mr Thompson, take a look at what Sarcastic Gamer did:

    Sarcastic Gamer Hey Mr Thompson
    Edited by 3 at 14/01/08 @ 17:39

  • Lexx87 #50 4 years ago

    Someone should spill hot coffee on his head AND KILL HIM

  • Ihya #51 4 years ago

    "Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped," claimed Jack Thompson, who hasn't actually been rude to us lately. "I don't see how they can be of any more benefit than normal teaching."

    Jack doesn't go far enough - this relentless march of progress has to stop. The methods back in 1910 were good enough for the kids then. We should go back to slate and chalk - we know they have never hurt a soul.


    "If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze,"

    That sums up my 9 to 5 sitting in front of a monitor. I'd go as far as saying using a computer not only distracts me from learning anything at work but in fact distracts working at all. Computers as a learning tool are as this lady states, are rubbish. Whoever says they learned something from a PC or off the Internet is a lair.

    The problem is, Jack needs to get his message out before all these Pixelantes become parents themselves and start to ignore his warnings as poppycock. We only have a few decades people in which to act before Jacks audience in the Daily Mail is dead and the rot has truly set in.

    Write to Keith Vaz, I implore you.

  • DFective #52 4 years ago

    Surely children will be a lot more attentive to a videogame than some drawling, boring teacher. It's making education more fun which I've always thought was needed. If this had been around when I was at school I can confidently say I'd probably have had a better education.

    "Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped"
    PERHAPS THE SAME COULD BE SAID OF ALL RELIGIONS etc. etc.

  • AOFanboi #53 4 years ago

    Jack Thompson has to keep blathering about games - after all, isn't he running out of states where he is allowed to practice law?

    Bloody luddite.

  • edje #54 4 years ago

    If you actually watch psychologists I think you'll find they cause a far more harm than good with their cod philosophy and ignorant comments which they believe must be legitimate because they have a piece of paper framed on their wall.

  • Davemanz #55 4 years ago

    So he wants attention. Whatever.

  • Nikanoru #56 4 years ago

    Hahahahaha oh god. I know there are a lot of total retards with highbrow jobs out there (lawyers, educational psychologists in this case) and it shouldn't be a surprise. But oh man, I can't help but be completely baffled by this kind of thing every single time.

  • Entity #57 4 years ago

    Miserable git.
    If he had his way, I bet he would then target calculators in schools.

  • L42yB #58 4 years ago

    This sort of thing really annoys me :S I truly don't even understand his motivation, since he only ends up looking like an idiot...

    Did anyone see this?:
    [link url=http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/KevinMcCullough/2008/ 01/13/the_sex-box_race_for_president?page=full&comments=true
    ]http://ww w.townhall.com/Columnists/Kevin...[/link]

    Seriously, this sort of thing should be illegal and anyone who simply LIES in order to gain publicity should be locked away for slander. Seriously! Let's get that law passed.

    /signs petition

  • Fozzie_bear #59 4 years ago

    But what about you at the back there with your hand up and your snotty nose, what do you think?

    Spookily, I was actually picking my nose as i read that bit. Average size. Generally crusty with a slightly soft underside.